Band knife attachment for pitchforks



June 7, 1932. GORDQN 1,861,526

BAND KNiFE ATTACHMENT FOR PiTCHF'ORKS Filed Aug. 4, 1951 I nvenlor W W era 0 Patented June 7, 1932 UNITED STATES WALLACE W. GORDON, OF WEST CONCORD, MINNESOTA BAND KNIFE ATTACHMENT FOR PITCHFORKS Application filed. August 4, 1931.

This invention relates to attachment for pitch forks, and the primary object of this invention is to provide an attachment in the form of a knife which may be readily and easily applied to the pitch fork and can be used to advantage for cutting the strings or hands binding corn shocks or the like.

A still further object of the invention is to provide an attachment of the above men- H tioned character, which is simple in construction, can be readily and easily attached to the pitch fork without requiring any alterations in the pitch fork and which it is believed, can be manufactured and retailed at 15 a nominal cost.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent from a study of the following description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawing wherein:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a pitch fork having my attachment applied thereto.

Figure 2 is an end elevational view of the attachment per se.

" Figure 3 is a plan view of the attachment per se.

With reference to the drawing, it will be seen that I have shown a conventional type of pitch fork including the usual handle 5 and the tines 6.

My attachment consists in the provision of a substantially elongated body or attaching plate 5 that is arcuate or semi-cylindrical in cross section and which at one end is provided with a laterally directed apertured attaching lug 8 adapted to receive through the aperture thereof preferably the central one of the tines 6 so as to engage said tines at an adjacent end of the handle 1. The plate or body 7 will thus extend longitudinally of the handle 5 and at its free end may be rigid- 1y secured to the handle by any suitable fastening element driven through a suitable aperture 9 provided in the free end of the plate or body 7 and engaged with the handle 5.

Projecting laterally from the convex side of the plate or body member 7 intermediate the ends of said body member is a lug 10 merging into a slightly longitudinally curved Serial No. 555,091.

extension 11 that extends lengthwise of the plate 7 toward the lug 8 of the plate and in divergent relation to the plate.

The projection 10 at the crotch formed thereby between the plate 7 and the extension E is sharpened to provide a knifelike edge In actual practice with the attachment applied to the pitch fork in the manner just described, the projection 11 is passed between 00 the shock and a portion of the string, and the fork moved longitudinally of the shock until the edge 12 engages with the string whereby upon suitable manipulation of the fork, the edge 12 will cut or sever the string 55 or band.

Besides providing in conjunction with the pitch fork a knife for the purpose above specified, it will be also seen that an attachment of this character, also provides an additional 7 7 means for securing the head carrying the tines 6 to the handle 5 thus providing as it were means, in addition to the usual ferrule or sleeve 5a, for securing the tine carrying :lfiealil of the pitch fork to the handle 5 of said It is also to be understood, and as is thought will be readily appreciated by those skilled in the art, that the part of my invention including the parts 10, 11 and 12 could be made so integral with the ferrule 5a thus dispensing with the parts 7, 8 and 9.

Even though I have herein shown and described the preferred embodiment of the invention, it is to be understood that the same is susceptible to further changes, modifications and improvements coming within the scope of the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new is: V

1. A band cutter attachment for pitch forks comprising a relatively elongated semicylindrical member adapted to receive in the channel thereof the handle of the fork, said member at one end provided with an apertured angular projection through which a tine of the pitch fork is passed, and said member having a lateral projection extending from the convex side thereof intermediate was the ends of the member, said lateral projection being provided with a cutting edge.

2. A band cutter attachment for pitch forks comprising a relatively elongated member provided on one side thereof with a channel for accommodating a portion of the handle of the pitch fork, said member at one end thereof provided with a lateral apertured projection for accommodating a tine of the pitch fork and said elongated member intermediate its ends being provided with a'lateral projection terminating in an end portion extending substantially in the direction of the length of said channeled member and curving-outwardly away from said member for disposition between the band, and the ,material wrapped'by said band, and said projection at the inner end of said extension being'pro- :vided with a cutting edge. for subsequently :severing theband.

.In testimony whereof I affixmy signature.

WALLACE XV. GORDON. 

